#4- I'm not well-read, but I do read well.

I don't read much.

For someone who loves writing, it is disgusting how little I read. The problem is I'm really picky. If you say, "Hey Mags, I think you would really like this book," I will politely thank you for the tip and then most likely make a mental note to never read the book you recommended. Sorry. Reading what others suggest feels like conforming somehow. It's insane but true.

Classic novels? Forget it. Needless to say, high school English classes were hell. Thank god for Spark Notes, am I right?

So what do I read? Well, my favorite book is "Winne The Pooh" by A.A. Milne. It is wonderful. Children and adults alike can appreciate the humor, the simple story lines and the quirky characters. I will never tire of it. And it has influenced my short-story writing immensely. As have the novels of Chuck Palahniuk. "Fight Club" changed my life.

I also read literary journalism and biographies. "A Death In Belmont" by Sebastian Junger is really cool. Check it out. I loved "A Fractured Mind: My Life With Multiple Personality Disorder" by Robert Oxnam. It was wild. And the best autobiography I have ever read is "Broken Music" by Sting. You think you know, but you have no idea...

Sometimes I feel like I'm sabotaging myself by not reading bestsellers, classic literature or books about European history, but reading for pleasure is about pleasure. I refuse to force myself to choke down a novel just because Oprah thought it was phenomenal. Screw Oprah. I'm going to rebel. I'm going to appreciate the under appreciated.

Currently I am reading Agatha Christie's "Curtain." Christie is by no means under appreciated, but she's oft forgotten. I found an old copy of the book at an antique store in Sagautuck, Michigan. That's another thing I can get down with; old books. Not old as in classic but old as in faded and worn and smelling of time. Sometimes they suck, sometimes they're incredible (i.e. "Maggie" by Lena Kennedy), but how I feel when I'm reading them can't be beat. It's like discovering buried treasure. If you can, stop by an antique or used book store. It's worth it just for the atmosphere.

So basically, reading only what you want doesn't make you stupid; it makes you who you are. And I am an over-grown child who is fascinated by murder mysteries and the life of Gordon "Sting" Sumner. I can't pretend to be anything else.

I'm not well-read, but I do read well.

I hope you can say the same.